President Donald Trump is set to address the nation tonight at 9 p.m. EDT, delivering what the White House has described as an “important update” on the ongoing war with Iran.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the address but did not provide details on the specific topics Trump will cover. The speech will mark the first time the president has spoken directly to the American people from the White House since the conflict began more than a month ago, as the administration reaches a critical decision point in week five of the war.
In the lead-up to the address, Trump signaled that his remarks may extend beyond Iran. In an interview with Reuters, the president indicated he plans to express frustration with NATO and is even considering a dramatic shift in U.S. policy.
“They haven’t been friends when we needed them,” Trump stated, according to the outlet. “We’ve never asked them for much … it’s a one-way street.”
The speech also comes at a moment of declining public support. According to the Decision Desk HQ polling average, Trump’s approval rating has steadily dropped since the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. It fell below 40 percent for the first time during his second term last week and now stands at 39.7 percent, near a record low.
Uncertainty continues to surround the administration’s next steps in the conflict. Earlier Wednesday, Trump revealed that Iran has requested a ceasefire, though he made clear the U.S. is not prepared to agree under current conditions.
“Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Internationally, the conflict remains intense. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a Passover statement highlighting both military gains and ongoing losses.
“My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, on the eve of this Festival of Freedom, Israel is stronger than ever. The entire world hears our lion’s roar in our struggle against the evil regime in Iran, a struggle in which we have achieved immense, enormous accomplishments,” Netanyahu said.
He also acknowledged the toll of the war, adding, “yesterday, we lost four of our best sons.”
Netanyahu framed the campaign in sweeping terms, declaring, “In the spirit of the upcoming Passover holiday, since the beginning of the ‘War of Redemption,’ we have dealt ten plagues upon the Axis of Evil: The blow to Hamas in Gaza, the blow to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the blow to Assad in Syria, the blow to terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria, the blow to the Houthis in Yemen, and five more blows to Iran: The blow to their nuclear program, the blow to their missiles, the blow to the regime’s infrastructure, the blow to the forces of oppression, and the ‘Plague of the Firstborn’, or in our case, the blow to the senior leadership.”
Trump’s address will take place on the first night of Passover, a holiday observed by his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
With tensions high abroad and political pressure mounting at home, tonight’s speech is expected to provide critical insight into how the president plans to navigate the next phase of the Iran conflict.
